


Eruri Week 2018

by Bittodeath



Series: The Eruris (Tumblr Weeks, AUs and Canonverse) [6]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Actor Erwin Smith, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Attempt at Humor, Birthday, Bittersweet, Bottom Erwin Smith, Carrying, Dating, Enemies to Lovers, Eruri Week, First Time, Flirting, Fluff and Smut, Growing Old Together, Gryffindor Levi, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kissing, Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin) Has Issues, Love, M/M, MMA fighter Levi Ackerman, Memory Loss, Minor Character(s), Mythology References, Old Age, One Night Stands, Paparazzi, Post-First War with Voldemort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Slytherin Erwin, Smut, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-06-29 21:08:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15737382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bittodeath/pseuds/Bittodeath
Summary: Eruri Week 2018 - prompts:1 - Carrying2 - post ACWNR/pre AOT3 - Enemies to lovers4 - Hands5 - Stars6 - Royal AU7 - Growing old





	1. Icarus' Wings

The burden is too much for a man to carry.

And yet, Erwin tried. Erwin does. He carries the burden of decisions, deaths. Truths and lies, tightly bound together over his shoulders. Ideas, illuminations. Tears and pains – guilt. He carries it all, like it weighs nothing. Or at least, that’s what people believe. Someone crushed by their burden wouldn’t stand so straight, seem so strong – look so harsh. Erwin is nothing like Sisyphus, no – he’s Icarus, flying high and aiming for the sun. His wings are no burden, they’re freedom. At least, that’s what people think. They don’t see that the wings are made of lead-feathers, they don’t see the golden hues are only reflects of his hair. They don’t think freedom has a cost, not for the men seeking it. They don’t see that Icarus straining under his hopeful, painful burden. They don’t see that Sisyphus pushing his burden up, and up, and up, without ever reaching the top.

They don’t see the sweat he wipes from his brow, the sleepless nights. They don’t hear the screams of terror at night, they don’t see the hands shaking from the blood staining them. They don’t see that rigid spine bent over tactics and plans. They don’t see the burden, nor the man straining under it. They see a monster, and he doesn’t bother to deny it. There’s no point in doing so, after all. He intends to carry this peculiar burden alone, whatever it means for him.

But the burden is too much for one man to carry, and this Sisyphus pants and groans under his too heavy burden.

The burden is too much for one man to carry – but if he were to be helped by a second, it wouldn’t be so much. And one day, Sisyphus looks up from his burden to the top of the mountain – to his ultimate goal, to truth and freedom – and what he sees leaves him breathless. Another kind of Icarus is there, soaring in the sky above him. His wings are broken and misshapen, not enough to truly carry him – but if Erwin were to share his lead-feathered wings with him, he would rise above humanity and fly into the sun. He would reach that freedom that seems to be just at his hand, and yet so far away.

And so Levi takes on heavy wings – wings meant for freedom that can fly so much higher than his own previously could, and flies straight into the sun. He doesn’t listen, drunk on the sensation. And, like Icarus, he falls down. Crashes hard at Sisyphus’ feet, the boulder shielding him from the sun – masking his freedom. And for the first time, Levi truly looks at Sisyphus’ face. He sees how heavy his burden is; he sees it, ready to collapse. And so he reaches up, his shoulders taking some of the weight. Not everything, no. But carrying the burden with Erwin, helping as he can. He means only to see the sun once more, and Erwin is the only way.

He doesn’t mean for the Fated wind to push him flush against him – doesn’t mean to feel the muscles shifting, chiselled and strained from years of carrying this too-heavy burden. Doesn’t mean to look into too-blue eyes; doesn’t mean his heart to beat faster. But he finds himself doing so, and finds the burden a bit lighter this way. Too much for one man, but it can be carried by two.

And when his lips finally press against Erwin’s, he feels invincible – and he could carry the world, he could, if Erwin would just ask. But Erwin doesn’t – because together they are stronger, together, they are Atlas, and they carry the sky. They share their strength into sleepless nights, into screaming nightmares. They share stolen kisses and the heated comfort of skin, and Erwin seem to grow stronger and stronger, no longer Sisyphus – no, Erwin becomes Atlas more and more.

And one day, he’ll carry the sky by himself, and watch as his own Icarus takes off and flies above him. After all, he gave Levi the wings that carry him into the cloudless sky – freedom is worth that.


	2. The Leap of Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 2: post-ACWNR/pre-AOT.
> 
> It's always been a matter of trust.

Erwin had waited. He’d waited while Levi grieved for his friends – his _family_ , because it was what they were. Farlan and Isabella had been _family_ and losing them had broken him. Not beyond repair, but enough that the cracks would show forever. There was no healing from such pain, he knew it from experience. There was learning to pull yourself together and move on.

Levi didn’t collapse completely either, because now he had a goal. He had someone to follow, to protect. To trust, to believe in. Levi had found a _faith_ , and if Erwin found it ill-advised, it was not his place to break his illusions. Levi would realize soon enough how bad of a mistake this was. For now, though, it was what he needed. What they both needed.

“Will you stop staring and start working?” Levi growled from where he was standing, re-organizing Erwin’s bookshelf for the third time this week.  
“Have you thought about what I told you?” Erwin asked instead, never lifting his head from where it was resting on his linked hands.  
“The squad thing?” Levi grumbled, his eyebrows drawn together.  
“Yes, the squad thing.”  
“And you, have you thought about what I said?”  
“About my being too uptight and grumpy and needing, I quote, ‘a good lay’?”  
“Yeah, that”, Levi retorted – after all, if Erwin was going to poke at barely healed wounds, he could pick at Erwin too. There was no reason not to.  
“I have”, Erwin answered, to his surprise. “You’re not the first one to say that to me, you know.” There was something akin to disgust in his voice, and Levi wondered why it was.

But he also knew the rules of this peculiar game they played together, and he didn’t push. Instead, he sighed and pulled a folded sheet from his pocket. Smoothing it down, he handed it over to the Major. A list of names was scribbled in his very recognizable scrawl, that few could decipher. Erwin was, it seemed, one of those.

“These would be the ones you pick for your squad?”  
“Yes.”  
“They’ve just finished their training.”  
“I know.”  
“You want newbies as your squad?”  
“ _Yes_. Did you not ask me to pick my men?” Levi growled, annoyed now.  
“I did”, Erwin replied, carefully recopying the names. “I’ll send letters and summons. You have your squad, Captain.”

At that, Levi paused, putting down the stack of books he was holding so he could stare at Erwin.

“You ask no questions? No reasons?”  
“Do I need to?” Erwin asked, looking up.  
“I thought you would.”  
“I trust you”, Erwin simply said, going back to his letter-writing. “You chose the soldiers you thought best fitted to the task. They are _your_ men, _your_ squad. It may be in my power to command them, but I don’t wish to. They’re your unit.”  
“Why would you want that?”  
“Because you are a leader”, Erwin replied. “And leaders need men to command. I intend to use you to the best of your abilities, but as things stands now, we’re barely getting there. With an elite squad in your power…” His eyes glinted with joy and madness. “You’ll be close to unstoppable.”

Levi stood there, struck by the faith Erwin had in him. He had faith in the man – that he could lead them to victory. He hadn’t thought _Erwin_ had faith in him, the thug he’d pulled from the Underground. That changed – _a lot_. He shelved the books he’d pulled out, messier than he intended to – he could always do that later – and walked to Erwin’s desk. Instead of waiting on the other side, though, he skirted it and went to stand in front of the man, leaning on the heavy wooden desk.

“You said you thought about what I said”, Levi prompted, and almost snorted at his phrasing. “So?”  
“So, I don’t see how _sex_ , of all things, could help our predicament. There’s no need for this kind of distraction.”

Levi quirked an eyebrow up, staring at him.

“It would help unwind you”, he replied. “Relax. Renew your thoughts. Your brain never stops working. Haven’t you thought _maybe_ you could use a pause? A _real_ pause, not this meditating stuff you do in your bath?”  
“A black-out? I know how to sleep, thank you very much.”  
“You’re the fucking commander of the Survey Corps”, Levi retorted. “All this conniving and planning is wearing you out. You need, yes, a black-out. Sex is the easiest way to get your brain to just stop working for a moment.”  
“Or I could sleep. Get knocked-out. Take a bath.” Erwin shrugged, and Levi felt his temper flare.

He wasn’t exactly _fixated_ on the sex thing – it wasn’t his area, and it was even hard not to feel repulsion to the stuff – but even he could feel how frustrated Erwin was. There was this repressed tension in his body, in his stance, in his words, and it was verging on turning him mad. He very much wanted to knock him out – he could simply bash his head against the desk – but it wouldn’t help the problem.

“Why do you do that to yourself?!” he spat out. “You have a problem with an easy solution. Why do you make it so difficult?”  
“When have things been easy?” Erwin replied with a disillusioned laugh. “ _Everything_ is a problem, with no easy solution.”

That was it – Levi would just knock his teeth in for being so insufferable. He grabbed his collar roughly, and-

And suddenly, he was kissing him. Why. How. Too many questions, and Erwin had been as surprised as he was. But then, the Commander hesitatingly parted his lips, inviting Levi in with a thrill of forbidden. It was too much at once, and yet not enough, but he wouldn’t stop. Let Levi plunder and turn everything to ash – _now_ , in this instant, he didn’t care. There was warmth and there was trust – it was enough.

Levi pulled away, panting, his forehead resting against his.

“What have you done”, Erwin breathed, looking up to meet his eyes.

Levi stared back.

“Same thing you did”, he replied. “Taken a leap of faith.”

And it wasn’t easy, and it probably wouldn’t be fine, be in that instant, Erwin knew there was no going back. They were falling down that cliff, and there were only two ways out – crash down or fly up. He’d given Levi his wings; now he could only trust him to fly them out of there. _Just a little of faith._


	3. The Agreement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perfect Prefect Erwin Smith infuriates prodigy punk Levi - until some truths are brought to light.
> 
> Harry Potter AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: there are mentions of passed torture on a child.
> 
> This is set in 1984, so after the First Wizarding War but before the events of Hogwarts Mystery; Levi is 16 and Erwin 17.

“I can’t stand him”, Levi gritted – not for the first time.  
“We know”, Isabella replied in a monotone voice.  
“You’ve been saying that since… well, since we’ve known each other, actually”, Farlan added. “Approximatively once every day, for five years. That’s a _lot_.”

Levi scowled, but it didn’t deter his friends from staring back with nonplussed expressions. By now, they were used to his bouts of anger about the Slytherin Prefect. Not that the guy didn’t anger them as well, but he really seemed to set Levi off.

Erwin Smith was a year older, Slytherin, Prefect, model student and well on his way to be Head Boy the following year. Everything, from his clean-cut blond hair to his perfectly fitted robes, said wealth, power and entitlement. He didn’t brag about being a Pure-Blood, didn’t even seem to care, when it was, at the moment, one of the most important things.

Levi realized he’d bent his fork in his anger, and put it down with a sigh. He was a completely different case, and many argued that was the reason why they had been antagonized since the very first day they met. He was a prodigy Muggleborn who went with his gut-feeling and had amazing results, an exceptionally gifted wizard who couldn’t care less about school – which was probably why he was crap at Potions, that required too much dedication, attention and carefulness for him. He was also one of the worst trouble-makers at school since James Potter and Sirius Black, and he sorely resented that he never got to meet them – or well, he had before Sirius was revealed as a traitor two years ago.

As a result, his “pranks” were almost always targeted at Erwin, who dealt with them gracefully and infuriated him even further. If only Erwin had been one of the bad guys, but no, he was too smart to get caught in that Death Eater bullshit. He’d lost both his parents to Voldemort before he even started school, and hadn’t been swayed by the Dark Lord – or at least, that was what people said. It was difficult to know the truth.

Erwin smiled once more, caught in a conversation with his best friend Mike at his table, and Levi made a disgusted noise. If at least Dumbledore would authorize duels, he would teach him his place, but no! Not hungry anymore, he pushed away his plate and got up. He had double Potions first thing in the morning and already two hours of detention that evening, so really, he didn’t care anymore. He went back to the common room and chucked down his robes, hastily pulled over his muggle clothes, before he grabbed his broom, hidden under his bed. He had no use for Potions, not when his results were this abysmally bad. Swiftly, he opened the window, leaned over to see if there was anyone watching – it was snowing a bit, so people were inside – and launched himself out the opening in the wall.

He stayed close to the walls and away from windows so as not to be caught, and flew to his usual hide-out: a little niche on the castle’s roof, with a breathe-taking vista over school grounds. The lake glinted faintly in the winter morning sun, and it was freezing cold. He liked it that way. Settled, safe from the chilly wind and snow, he cast a warming charm over himself and pulled a cigarette from one of his pockets. He was close to having broken every single rule there was here, but while it had given him a thrill as a child, it simply was what he did now. He lit his cigarette from a single flick of his fingers against the roll and carried it to his lips, closing his eyes as he inhaled and exhaled the smoke.

His Gryffindor scarf was one of the only concessions he did to wizarding attire: his feet were clad in heavy military boots, his dark jeans ripped in several places and showing strips of pale skin. Chains hanged from his belt and belt-loops, and there was his second concession to wizarding attire: his wand-holster, tightly strapped to his thigh. His leather jacket was completed with pins of various sorts, and usually opened on some offensive T-shirt. The one he wore right now was a tight fit and said “pariah” in garish red paint and almost illegible font – but it was also one of his warmest ones. He pulled on his cigarette, letting the ash fall between his parted legs to the roof, and opened his eyes once more to look at the scenery.

One more year, and he would be a legal adult in the Wizarding World. One more year, and he could get the fuck out of there. He raised his fingers, lost in thoughts, and slipped them under his shirt, on the skin of his back. Where smooth skin stopped to let place to gnarls and bumps – present from an encounter with a Death Eater six years ago. He’d barely escaped then, and only because he was exceptionally gifted. He still had no idea how he had managed to Apparate without Splinching himself – probably because he didn’t know he was a wizard then. Sometimes, the curse’s scar still hurt. There was nothing he could do about it, so he’d tried to reconquer his own body. His fingers shifted to the ink in his skin – illegally put there, but he didn’t care about _that_ either.

He wasn’t sure where he would go after that, but he wouldn’t stay in the UK. Most people had blown up with joy at the news of Voldemort’s death and miraculous baby Potter, but he thought there was something shifty about it. Where was the kid? How had he managed, at barely a year old, to defeat one of the strongest Dark Wizards of all times? Who was to say Voldemort had really died? After all, there had been no body to find. And his followers were scattered around the world, not even most of them in prison. Sure, some had died – including that little Slytherin shit who had branded him so badly, or so he hoped.

He sometimes wondered who had been most frightened of them, himself or the teen. He had marvellous composure, that Slytherin – but his eyes, Merlin. His eyes were full of terror and disgust. Levi wasn’t so kind as to forgive him for his actions, but he also knew what true fear was. Knowing he’d been marked as a slave for this guy’s future use was… something he didn’t like to dwell on. They had probably thought he was a Muggle, and put up no barriers. His display of magic had probably angered Voldemort, for which he was secretly glad.

He grinded his cigarette down on a slate of the roof. He shouldn’t let his thoughts wander back to that night, he had promised Isabella he wouldn’t. But Erwin was too much like his torturer – Pure-Blood, model student, Slytherin with startling eyes. Except Erwin’s name wasn’t etched in his skin, for which he was glad. He let out a sigh, his head thumping against the niche when he threw it back. He loved his magic – but not the Wizarding World. So, out of the UK it was. Not the USA, because with their MACUSA bullshit they were double trouble. The east had Grindelwald, and he really _wasn’t_ fond of Dark Wizards.

Shivering, he revived his Warming Charm: double-Potions would be finished by now. Sure, Snape would snap at him and probably give him some more detention, but he couldn’t be bothered. He remembered his silhouette standing over him as the guy – he refused to name him, refused to give him humanity – branded him, and that wasn’t something you easily forgot or forgave. Snape didn’t remember him, that was what he thought, but _he_ remembered every single person who had been there at that time. He could name them – he would have, if he hadn’t feared to be exposed. No one knew but the ones present that night, and they surely wouldn’t talk about that Muggle-boy who had escaped them because he was, in fact, a wizard. But he never forgot that Snape had watched a kid being tortured by another kid not much older without batting an eyelash, and if he understood the whole spy thing, he thought no self-deserving professor would be able to stand such a thing.

His attention was snatched back to reality when he saw a flash of green shooting through the sky: the Slytherin Team was out to train. He recognized Erwin immediately, even from this distance. The Keeper was tall and broad amongst the others, grinning and laughing with his friends as they hoovered on their brooms. That was something more he resented: Erwin was _also_ an amazing Quidditch captain. He knew he could have been, too. He was one of the best seekers of his generation, now that James Potter was gone, but he was too much of a troublemaker who didn’t give a shit about getting caught to be on the team. He played for fun, and most of the time it was enough. It wasn’t, though, when he saw Erwin flying like this.

Quickly, he cast a Disillusionment Charm over himself – he was quite hidden where he was, but one was never too careful. Not when it came down to his haven. He had the urge to hurl a snowball at Erwin, but to do so would betray his presence. He grinned when he realized there was no reason he could fly and throw a snowball at the so-called captain. He flew himself into the shy with his broom, shedding his Charm as he did so, and collected snow with the help of his wand. It was a perfect snowball, round and smooth: he hit Erwin square in the chest with little to envy to a Bludger, making him sway and cough as all air was suddenly expelled from his lungs. The sight made him roar in laughter, to the dismay of the Slytherin team, and he flashed them the finger as he shot downwards. There would be hell to pay – but it was worth it.

*

Two days passed without hearing from the Slytherins. He was getting slightly worried, but he’d been too caught up in his detentions and classes to really pay attention. Snape had been a nightmare, as had been Filch when he’d found out about the Dungbomb he had set off in a corridor as Erwin passed. Arguably, the professor he had the hardest time with was McGonagall. She recognized him as very talented, and always tried to push him further, to study more, and it was getting harder and harder to refuse her. He just couldn’t stand her disappointment in him, and he hated that feeling.

He was getting out from breakfast and on his way to the grounds when he felt himself getting dizzy. Staggering, he propped himself up against a wall. Everything seemed to be swimming before his eyes.

“I can’t believe you managed to make a delayed Sleeping Draught. You’re the best, Erwin.”  
“Thanks”, a voice he knew all too well said. “Stand guard while I take us there”, he added.

After that, everything turned to black. He opened his eyes in an unfamiliar room, stretched on a large couch with a blanket over him. There was a fire blazing in the chimney.

“Good, you’re finally up. I was starting to think I’d been wrong in my dosage.”  
“Wha- How long have I been out?” he slurred, struggling to sit up.  
“An hour and five minutes”, Erwin replied from somewhere beside him. “I’m sorry for the proceedings, but I believed you wouldn’t follow me without making a fuss.”  
“Damn right”, Levi replied, finally leaning against the backrest. “What the hell did you do to me?”  
“I slipped a modified Sleeping Draught in your pumpkin juice this morning. Nothing bad or dangerous.”  
“Where are we, and what the fuck do you want with me?” Levi asked, trying to stand up – he immediately fell back down on the couch.  
“The Room of Requirements”, Erwin replied. “Not very known a place, but useful. I needed somewhere calm, comfortable and where we wouldn’t be disturbed to talk to you.”

The room was warm and furnished with luxe and taste, and it wasn’t like anything Levi had ever seen. It reminded him a bit of the Gryffindor common room, but much less crowded. He jerked his chin at Erwin.

“What d’you want to talk about? You have thirty seconds before I hex you.”

As he said so, he grabbed his wand, still in his holster. His robes were on the armrest, though, and his boots next to the couch. Erwin smirked.

“I want to know why you hate me so much when I never personally wronged you”, Erwin replied.  
“Because you’re a selfish, entitled prick of a Slytherin Pure-Blood. Mister Perfect Prefect who can make no mistake.”  
“I had no idea I gave you such a feeling”, Erwin replied. “And I’m far from perfect. I’m just striving to make up for…” He frowned, sighed, and resumed. “For my parents’ poor decisions.”  
“You don’t get to play the martyr card with me”, Levi replied through gritted teeth.  
“That was not my intention”, Erwin assured him. “I’m just trying to be a good person.”  
“When has Slytherin been _good?”_  
“Now _you_ ’re being an obnoxious bigot. I can’t help being Slytherin just as I can’t help being a Pure-Blood. You can’t judge people on such grounds. Let their actions speak.”

Anger flashed in Levi’s eyes.

“I hate you all – Slytherins, Pure-Blood, Death Eaters. You’re all the same, and _you_ ” he clenched his teeth so hard Erwin feared they might break “you’re the worst of all. Hiding yourself behind that façade of purity and tolerance. You make me _sick_.”

That was obviously not what Erwin had expected, because he looked worried and concerned as he stood up and walked up to him, his hand extended. Levi snatched his away.

“Do _not_ touch me”, he growled.  
“Levi, _please_. What happened to you? Such… Such _hatred_ can’t be baseless.”

Levi looked around for a door, but there was none. Magic. He pointed his wand at Erwin.

“Let me get out of here”, he warned.  
“Levi, we can talk about it!” Erwin pleaded – his eyes reflecting the same fright as…  
“ _MONSTERS! ALL OF YOU!”_ Levi yelled, his eyes wild with fear, and not entirely present.  
“Levi-”  
“STAY AWAY, YOU DEMON!” he screamed, slashing his wand.

A cut appeared on Erwin’s raised palms, bleeding red. Yet, he didn’t move, keeping his calm.

“I wish you no harm, Levi. Put down your wand, please.”  
“I’d rather be dead than be yours”, Levi growled, feral, threatening to turn his wand to himself.  
“ _EXPELLIARMUS!”_ Erwin finally cried, holding out his wand in a flash.

Levi’s flew out of his hand, and without waiting, Erwin cast another spell – one Levi had never heard before.

“ _Cessa_.”

Calm descended on Levi, his eyes blinking as the flashback receded, and he suddenly collapsed, unable to stand anymore. His hands were trembling and he was fighting back tears. Slowly, Erwin approached, gathered him in his arms and brought him back to the couch.

“I’ll get you to Pomfrey”, he said soothingly.  
“No”, Levi said, shaking his head feebly. “Not Pomfrey.”  
“Levi, you’re shocked. You need help.”  
“I’m fine”, Levi replied. “I’m fine, I’m fine.”  
“You’re not fine”, Erwin retorted.  
“I don’t want to go there”, Levi whispered, the desperation in his voice so much Erwin’s heart broke.  
“Alright, alright, you stay here. It’ll be fine. Drink that for me?” he said, handing him a small vial.

Surprisingly, Levi obeyed. His eyes fluttered, and his head lolled back as he fell asleep from the remnants of Sleeping Draught. Gently, Erwin laid him back on the couch. He needed Pomfrey, and quick.

*

“You did well leaving him there”, Pomfrey assured Erwin as she followed him into the castle. “From what you tell me, it would have been worse to remove him from such a secluded space.”

Levi was still sleeping when they arrived. Pomfrey settled by him and cast two spells, frowning.

“What is it? What did you find?” Erwin asked, clearly worried.  
“Heavy psychological trauma”, she replied. “No help whatsoever. He lived through something terrible as a child and… well, probably told no one.” She looked up. “There’s also traces of a blood curse. Physical damage. We can only imagine what happened… Help me undress him. I must know what it is.”  
“Do you know where…”  
“Upper body”, Pomfrey replied, already lifting him up to pull off his jacket.

Erwin reached out, holding Levi up while she took off his jacket, and then his shirt. He had a moment of stunned silence at the sight of him: Levi was more muscled than he let on, but more important, he was tattooed. _Heavily_ tattooed. His whole arms, covering his chest up to his collarbones, and there were some scattered on his stomach. The whole was a colourful ensemble that contrasted with his pale skin and dark hair. He noticed several magical tattoos – a humming-bird going from flower to flower on his arms, a Snitch fluttering about on his stomach, a shifting moon on his ribs.

“It’s not these tattoos, is it?”

The witch passed her wand over the tattoos and shook her head.

“No, these are much more recent. Help me put him on his stomach. It must be his back.”

They did, and Erwin sucked in a breath at the sight. The witch had gasped quietly, but it hadn’t escaped him. Levi’s whole back was scarred, literally branded, in a very recognizable design: a crest.

“Isn’t that… the Black family crest?” Erwin asked in a whisper, his fingers brushing against the white scars.  
“I believe so, yes”, Pomfrey replied with a nod. “Blood magic. Extremely powerful… and painful for him.”  
“But… for which purpose?”  
“Enslavement”, the witch replied, her lips pressed tightly together, thin and white. “Some Pure-Bloods did that a long time ago. They would enslave a Muggle instead of having a house-elf. Such a mark tied him first to the caster, but also to the whole Black family. He wouldn’t be able to disobey any order from one with that blood.”

Erwin felt a shiver down his spine, and he looked at Pomfrey.

“Do you think he knows what this mark does?”  
“I don’t know, Erwin. I don’t know. But it is an even more binding curse than the Dark Mark is.”  
“Sirius Black was the last of the family, wasn’t he?”  
“In name, yes”, Pomfrey replied. “But here, it’s blood that matters.”

Erwin’s eyes widened even more as he considered the implications. Sirius Black was in Azkaban, and his brother Regulus probably dead. Bellatrix Lestrange was of Black blood too, and luckily she was in Azkaban with Sirius. Then there was Narcissa Malfoy, and her young son Draco. They had claimed to have been Imperiused by Voldemort, but with Levi in the balance, it was a risk that Erwin didn’t like. And last, but not least, there was Andromeda, and her daughter Nymphadora. His hands trembling, he released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Andromeda was a good woman, who had married a Muggle. She would help Levi.

“Is there a way to undo this?”  
“I don’t know. I’ll fetch the director, can you stay here and watch over him?”  
“Yes.”

*

There was nothing to be done. It was a curse scar, and like all curse scars, it would never be gone, and the magic into it wasn’t one that could be reversed. “Maybe if we knew who cursed him”, Dumbledore had said, but they didn’t, and Levi wouldn’t talk. He had screamed and raged when he’d realized what they’d done, and even more so when he’d learned what the mark really was. He hadn’t known, and now stared resentfully at them. Erwin had been used to his glares, but that had been before he’d realized how much he was hurting inside.

A week went by without any of Levi’s usual pranks. He was seen in class at all his lessons, but didn’t seem to talk, even to his closest friends. It wasn’t the first time he’d pulled a silent act on them, but it was the first time it lasted this long. Erwin couldn’t help but think there was something shifty about it. He was patrolling the corridors after curfew one night when he saw him sneak out of his dorm, his broom in hand and a muggle rucksack on his back. He ran after him, and grabbed his arm as he was about to reach the front doors.

Levi jumped and snatched his arm out of his grasp.

“You!” he growled menacingly.  
“Where are you going?” Erwin asked.  
“Not your business”, Levi replied.  
“It is, though. You’re not planning anything good.”  
“I’m getting the fuck out of here”, Levi replied. “What are you going to do, Prefect? It’s no good for me here.”  
“It would be if you tried”, Erwin said, keeping his voice low and gentle.  
“I’ve tried.”  
“You haven’t. You never really worked for your magic.”  
“And?”  
“Make an agreement with me”, Erwin said impulsively.  
“Why would I?”  
“Listen to me”, Erwin said. “You start working in class, really working. I’ll tutor you, until the end of the year. Until you’ve sat your OWLs. If you have less than three Os, I’ll help you disappear. And until then, you can ask anything of me, as long as it’s not explicitly opposed to this agreement.”  
“Why should I agree? I could just go now.”  
“Where to? With what money? How would you even _live_ , without a proper job?”

Levi pursed his lips, obviously displeased that Erwin had put his finger in the rather big loopholes of his plans. He stared back, observing the Slytherin.

“Why would you want to do this?”  
“Because I want to see your magic at its best”, Erwin replied. “I want to see how amazing you can be.”

Levi pondered over the proposition for a moment. Some part of him was curious, the other was scared, and the last very much wanted to bring the arrogant bastard down to his knees. His lips stretched into a smile.

“I’ve got another proposition”, he said. “I work in class and do my best to have three Os at my OWLs. You tutor me where I need.”

Erwin waited for him to drop the last part of the exchange.

“In counterpart”, Levi resumed, sure he’d cornered Erwin and would make him renounce, “you will date me. Until the end of the year.” His eyes crinkled with his smile. “If you don’t like these terms, I’ll just walk off now and be gone.”

With how big bigots Pure-Bloods were, he was certain Erwin would never agree. A relationship? With a Muggleborn? With someone who had such a _bad_ reputation? With a _guy?_ There was no way Erwin would do such a thing. Entitled know-it-all.

“That’s all?” Erwin said. “I date and tutor you, and you strive to have three Os?”  
“Before you agree… I’ve never had a mark above ‘Poor’”, Levi replied with a big grin.  
“Deal.”

Levi stopped dead in his tracks.

“What?” he asked, his face a blank mask.  
“I said, ‘Deal’”, Erwin repeated. “I agree to your terms. Now go back to bed before you get caught by someone other than me.”  
“You… Uh…” Levi couldn’t form the words – not even the thoughts – that raced through his mind at the unexpected answer.

Erwin seemed to realize his predicament. He grinned, the handsome bastard, and crowded him against the door until they were standing way too close.

“What, you thought I would get cold-feet? Thought I wouldn’t do it?” He bent even closer, his lips to Levi’s ear. “You deserve a little secret on my part: I’m gay as hell.”

He pulled away slightly, stared at Levi who was turning redder by the second, his expression one that said “I fucked up” in a very panicked way, and chuckled. He bent back down, brushing his lips against Levi’s.

“Now will _you_ get cold-feet?”

His taunt reached its goal – Levi was very much a Gryffindor and he would not stand being called a coward. His grin turned devilish.

“You wish”, he replied, grabbing his tie and pulling him down.

And kissed him back – a real, messy kiss that had _far_ too much passion in it. His hand never unwound from Erwin’s tie, the Prefect pressing him even more into the door.

“Now go to bed”, Erwin whispered against his bitten-raw lips. “We’re starting tomorrow.”

And maybe Erwin was a demon – just not the kind he’d thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBC in the next chapter with the next prompt!


	4. The Hand That Means Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follow-up of the precedant chapter.  
> NSFW content (light smut).  
> Both are of age in the wizarding world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops sorry for the delay, I had my day planned out yesterday and then I got dragged outside (didn't want to) and got back really late. So yeah basically I'm a day late (and I yet have to find what I'm going to write for today's prompt, but that's a problem for tomorrow me bc today-me is dead tired).

Levi grabbed the hand Erwin was holding out, letting him pull him forth, arms looping around him as they kissed. This would have been unthinkable not so long ago – but things had changed, quickly and in ways no one could have expected. Sure, there had been some muttering and grumbling the first few weeks they’d dated – but they soon muted, and people no longer cared. With Erwin’s tutoring, Levi had progressed more quickly than he would have on his own, and his genius was finally done justice. Sure, he was still rubbish at Potions, but at least he’d had an A. Not that either of them had expected any miracles there – he just couldn’t get potions right, perhaps a balance to his prodigious magic.

But amidst the tutoring sessions, there was also the dating. They had learned to know each other – and, barely stopping at the “friends” phase, they had soon realized their dating was more than what it was meant to be. It was more than just a deal, and too much to be left behind when they climbed on the Hogwarts Express to go back home. Levi had gotten five Os and two Es at his OWLs – and the deal was mote. So they’d made another – at Erwin’s place, where they’d met when Levi got his results. Sealed with a kiss; the promise to give it a real try. Levi wasn’t a model student, sure, but he had become an impressively good one, to McGonagall’s delight – and people agreed that Erwin seemed more relaxed since they had started to hang out with each other.

“Do you know what day it is?” Erwin whispered in his ear, pulling him out the way to the Great Hall.  
“No”, Levi replied, pressed flush against him, “what day is it?”  
“December 17th”, the Slytherin replied.  
“Just a few days to Christmas”, Levi replied.

Erwin chuckled, hands sliding under his robes, over the back of his jeans.

“Levi”, he said, “it’s our first anniversary.”  
“Is it?” Levi said with a frown. “I can’t remember what day it was.” He looked back at his boyfriend, trying not to look too smitten as he stared into sky-blue eyes. “Did you want to do something special?”  
“Maybe”, Erwin replied, smiling.  
“What does that even mean, ‘maybe’? Did you or didn’t you?” Levi said with a glare.  
“It means, I’ll tell you tonight after tutoring, once I’m sure I can actually do what I have planned. The library, five sharp?”  
“You fucking tease”, Levi groaned, “ _that’s_ why you’re a Slytherin!”  
“Guilty as charged”, Erwin replied with a cheeky grin, pressing a kiss to his lips. “Five, library”, he repeated as he pulled himself away and entered the Great Hall, going over to his friends for Breakfast.

Levi stared as he went, and finally got to his own table. Unlike most of other couples, not only were they in an inter-house relationship, but they also had a year gap. This was Erwin’s final year; he would sit his NEWTs and find a job and be the amazing wizard everyone expected him to be. Levi was a sixth year, and he would turn seventeen soon. In a few days, in fact. He would be rid of the Trace and considered an adult wizard then, and he couldn’t wait for it.

“You look pissed”, Isabella noticed as he sat down across her.  
“Fucking Slytherin”, Levi replied, grabbing for his food.

That was all he said – Isabella and Farlan understood what he meant exactly. Though his opinion of Erwin had changed lately, he still was the main subject of his attention. His friends were resigned by now, though they didn’t really like being around the Slytherin Head Boy. Levi pulled his notes from his robes’ pocket and started to study them: he had Transfiguration just after, and there was no messing up with that. The day would have been just like any other if it hadn’t been for Levi’s constant buzz of curiosity. He had no idea what Erwin had planned. He knew what _he_ wanted, but he doubted Erwin would go back on his word: there would be no sexual intimacy between them while he wasn’t legal. As a true Head Boy, he’d been very clear on that point, and Levi knew not to push such boundaries. They’d get there in time, for now he was fine enough with kissing and some heated touches that never went far.

He made his way to the library, passing Mrs. Pince as he joined Erwin at a table: today, they would study Defence Against the Dark Arts. That was on Levi’s timetable – one of the first things Erwin had put in place when he’d started to tutor him. He would help him if there was a special assignment, of course, but Levi was growing more and more independent with that, and their tutoring sessions were slowly turning into study sessions.

“What are we doing today?” he asked in a low voice as he sat down.  
“The Patronus Charm”, Erwin replied. “It has the reputation of being a difficult charm, but very powerful. And it’s the only protection against Dementors.”

And, like that, they were gone. Erwin explained things with a calm and poised voice, but what fascinated Levi to no end were his hands. Instead of resting calmly like his did, or twitching for a smoke, they gestured sometimes wildly, sometimes with incredible precision. They were wide and strong, and yet there was a grace when Erwin used his wand, in the moves of his fingers, the flick of his wrists, that was pure enchantment. Likewise, those same broad hands were delicate with potions ingredients, with fragile artefacts, with old, battered books – and with Levi. The few times those hands brushed his skin, they were always incredibly soft and gentle. Levi couldn’t remember hands this gentle in his early life.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Erwin closed most of the books they had studied and checked out a few they hadn’t gone over yet. His hand clasped over Levi’s in a familiar way, their fingers intertwining as they set off to the Great Hall for dinner – like almost every day. So, Levi was confused when Erwin didn’t go for the Great Hall and instead stirred him somewhere else. Levi understood where when the door to the Room of Requirements appeared, and Erwin asked him to close his eyes. Huffing, Levi did, and his boyfriend guided him inside.

“You can look now”, Erwin said.

The room was quite small, but not suffocating. The dim candle-light was enough to create a soothing ambiance, and there was a perfume in the air that Levi couldn’t identify at first. Then, he realized it smelled like his old broom did after a long flight outside, above the Forbidden Forest, like dusty library books, peaches and… and something marine, like salted water – like Erwin. In the middle of the room, there was a table set for two with huge candelabras and a warm dinner waiting. It was intimate and romantic, and Levi smiled. Erwin had thought of this – done this – for him.

“It’s wonderful”, he said softly.  
“You like it?” Erwin said, sounding hopeful.  
“A lot”, Levi replied, turning to him.

The Slytherin took off his robes, hanging them next to the door, and did the same for Levi – who was considerably underdressed for the occasion. His usual jeans-t-shirt were not good enough for a candle-lit dinner. He took his wand, twirled it around himself and let the charm modify their perceptions. He now looked like he was wearing a fine tuxedo, the same one as he’d seen in his book of Muggle Studies. Erwin wore clean-cut dress robes, emerald green, that clung to his shoulders and torso and widened under the waist, silver stitched at the hems and glittering into the fabric. Levi was in love, and he knew why.

The dinner seemed eerie, the silence broken only in quiet whispers and hushed laughs – it would have felt wrong to be loud here, now. Yet, even that had to end – with a kiss that left them both panting, filled with more desire than Levi had ever felt on Erwin’s part. Erwin’s hand on his waist squeezed tightly as he dropped his forehead to Levi’s shoulder – and then it untucked his white shirt and slid under it, resting, hot, unsettling and nerve-wracking, on Levi’s stomach.

“You have no idea how much I want you”, Erwin whispered.  
“Just say the word”, Levi replied, feeling his throat tightening from the sudden expectation for more.  
“Not yet”, Erwin breathed, with obvious restraint, “not yet.” He pulled away slightly, enough to kiss him again – this time, gentle and languid. And when he finally broke it, it was to stare into Levi’s eyes. “I love you”, he whispered.

Levi’s eyes widened at the words he’d never heard before – not to him, at least. Erwin probably knew that, because he didn’t wait for an answer: he kissed him again, with the confidence of a man who knew he was loved in return, and exited the room.

When Levi got back to his dorms, he knew one thing for sure: this had been the best night of his life.

*

Two days later, Erwin had taken him to the D.A.D.A. class to try the Patronus Charm. They were under professor McGonagall’s supervision, but she was standing at the back, letting them go through things at their rhythm. Erwin finally stood, wand in hand, and called _“Expecto Patronum!”_. Mist poured from his wand, soon forming a form not commonly seen at Hogwarts: a huge hyena was prowling around the room. It soon dissipated, its owner grimacing slightly. The professor chuckled.

“Slytherin through and through, uh”, she said with a grin. “Don’t look so grim, Mr. Smith. Hyenas are very smart and always find a way out. They also have a mean bite to them.”

Erwin seemed to relax slightly and smiled back at the professor. His gaze turned to Levi, who seemed to be deep in thought. His wand trembled slightly in his hand – a pale hand, with long, deft fingers twirling around either a wand or a smoke. Then, quite suddenly, Levi pointed his wand and said the incantation – the memory of their first anniversary fresh in his mind. Mist poured from his wand, the way it hadn’t the first times he’d tried, in the common room. A wild cat leaped out of his wand and around the room, before disappearing. Levi smiled softly. It was thanks to Erwin that he had his Patronus.

“Thank you for supervising us, professor”, Erwin said as they exited the classroom.  
“You’re welcome, Mr. Smith”, the professor said before she disappeared at the corner of the corridor.  
“Erwin”, Levi called as they made their way back to their common rooms.  
“Mmh?”  
“I love you too.”

Erwin smiled, a huge grin that illuminated his face, and squeezed his hand, fierce.

“I’m never letting you go.”  
“Hyenas _do_ have a mean bite”, Levi replied with a chuckle as they bumped shoulders.  
“Don’t say things you could regret”, Erwin retorted, a mischievous glint in his eyes – and Levi shivered from the words left unsaid, the moves left uncompleted. The world not yet completely in place, but ticking to it ineluctably. _Soon_. His fingers tightened briefly on Erwin’s hand. _Soon._

*

Christmas break was there, and like all preceding Christmas breaks, Levi was staying to Hogwarts. Erwin was staying, too. It was the second time they spent it together, but Erwin hadn’t known about Levi’s birthday then. He did, now. And he cared. They weren’t many to stay over break, and Levi found himself with a first year, three second years, two third years and a fifth year in the common room. Presents were stacked there. Levi didn’t expect much – after all, he didn’t have many friends. There were two presents for him: an enormous one from Farlan and Isabella, and a small package from Erwin. His heart started to beat faster when he unwrapped the bigger one: it was a new broom, a Nimbus 1700 to replace his old Cleansweep that was starting to fall in pieces. His hands glided over the smooth handle, and he noticed the little card attached to it. His friends wished him a happy birthday, and enticed him to join the Gryffindor team if he could. He smiled, stroking the wood lovingly. He didn’t have time for Quidditch, not when all of his time was already used and planned. But with this, he could fly – race – with Erwin, and that was the best thing he could wish for.

Erwin’s present was encased in a box of blue velvet, with a little note attached to it. _It is tradition for a wizard reaching adulthood to receive a pocket watch. Happy Seventeenth Birthday, love._ His fingers trembling set the note aside, after noticing there was another note on the other side. _Boris the Bewildered, 11:30 pm._ Levi smiled at that: the perfect Prefect was breaking curfew for a midnight date. The Muggleborn thug was being a bad influence on him. Well, after all, Erwin had managed to make him study and listen in class, but no one had managed to find a way to get him to wear the uniform. Magic always reverted his clothes back if he was forced into his uniform, and he liked it that way. Slowly, he lifted the lid – and gasped at the sight of the pocket watch. It was silver, with golden linings, delicately engraved. He opened it; the hands were silver on obsidian with golden roman numbers. Inside, his exact birthdate was engraved, and at the back was a golden wild cat. His fingers traced everything, every nook and cranny, trying to learn the exact form of his present. He attached it to his clothes delicately, deeply moved by its significance.

He was seventeen. Finally.

Lunch was spent leaning against Erwin, who seemed to be quite content with that, their hands tightly clasped. No one seemed to really care, and Levi was happy. It was a singular thing, to be simply, genuinely happy. He was almost disconcerted by the feeling, but Erwin’s fingers running up his arm, down his back, weighing on his nape, anchored him in reality – in _here and now_. He wondered, if only a hand could do that to him, if he’d survive more. He wasn’t so sure, now. He quickly forgot his worries, though, when they went outside to fly together. It was really cold and they couldn’t stay long, but Levi was grinning by the time they decided to take a break.

“Come”, he said to Erwin, flying above him – and the Head Boy followed.

And, for the first time, Levi brought someone to his hideout. He cleared the snow from his hideout and casted a Warming Charm over the both of them as they snuggled together on the roofs, looking at the snow-covered scenery.

“It’s beautiful”, Erwin said, in awe – his arms wrapped around Levi, keeping him close.

And for some reason, when Erwin kissed him on that roof that felt like they were on top of the world, Levi tasted a promise – a vow of eternity, one he would never dare to voice. His eyes left the scenery to go to Erwin’s hands. He took one, stripping it of its glove, and let his fingers trace its lines and learn the shape of his fingers. His hand looked ridiculously small next to him, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He cared even less when that naked hand brushed against his cheek to pull him into a sweet kiss.

Going back inside was difficult, but they definitely felt warmer inside. Even Levi’s Warming Charm hadn’t been enough to completely warn off the cold as they raced around the castle. Dinner was quick, and Levi realized he was exhausted – exhausted and happy. He settled in bed early, setting an alarm at eleven fifteen for his date, and fell asleep without even thinking about it.

It was completely dark and soundless when his alarm woke him up, and he dressed quickly in the dark, wondering what Erwin had in mind. The fifth floor was thankfully quite easy to access to, but his boyfriend had refused to tell him what they were doing. Shivering, he casted a Disillusionment Charm over himself before he exited his empty dorm room. The common room was dark and empty as well, safe for the fire glowing, warm and comforting, in the chimney. He snuck out and, from his long experience, reached the rendez-vous point without any problem or delay. Erwin was already waiting for him, a bundle under his arm, and he smiled when Levi dropped the charm to show himself.

“There you are”, Erwin whispered, pulling him in for a quick kiss. “C’mon.”

He guided him to the fourth door and murmured “citrus enamel”, unlocking the door. With a flick of his wand, he lit several light sources in the room they’d just entered, and Levi gasped.

“What’s this place?”  
“The Prefects’ bathroom. Prefects, Head Boy and Girl and Quidditch Captains only.” Erwin smiled joyously. “I thought you would love a warm bath.”  
“And you were right”, Levi breathed, turning to him to kiss him soundly. “Thank you.”

Erwin grinned and started to fill the pool with steaming water, carefully selecting the scents he knew Levi liked. Levi visibly relaxed, pulling off his boots and jacket, carefully setting down his wand before he started to take off the rest of his clothes – keeping only his shirt as Erwin put the large towels he’d brought to warm. He couldn’t stop staring: Levi was fidgeting with his collar, hesitating to take off his long t-shirt when he’d already taken off all the rest. Erwin finally averted his gaze to pull off his own clothes, self-conscious as he did so. When he looked up again, Levi was staring back. Erwin stepped closer and, gently, slipped his hands under the hem of Levi’s t-shirt.

“Allow me”, he whispered, and Levi nodded – and Erwin knew how much this nod meant, how afraid Levi was to show himself, to show his tattoos and the terrible mark in his back.  
“The more I get to know you, the more you seem perfect”, Levi said, looking at him.  
“I’m not, though”, Erwin retorted. “I’m only a man”, he added, bending to capture his lips in a searing kiss. Levi’s hands came to rest over his chest, feeling the muscles there, curling into the clear, soft blond curls trailing down his navel, curious and tentative.  
“Erwin?” Levi asked.  
“I want you”, Erwin whispered, breath ghosting over his lips. “I’ve wanted you for longer than I can remember.”

His hands were gentle and careful as they mapped out Levi’s body as they’d never done before – as he’d never allowed them to do before, and Levi shivered. So maybe waiting was alright, after all. Maybe it was worth it. The reverent look in Erwin’s eyes was certainly enough for a few months of waiting. The way it made his stomach curl was proof enough.

“Come”, Erwin breathed again, tugging him by his hands as he walked backwards and started to descend into the pool.

The water was warm, and they entered it slowly, too conscious of the surrounding silence, of each other’s presence, too conscious of their naked bodies so close and yet so far apart. Too conscious that months of waiting were coming to an end tonight, as desire and want crawled under their skins and finally poured out in languorous gazes and heated brushes of skin on skin. Erwin tugged Levi closer, wrapping his arms around his waist as they lowered themselves into the water until there was nothing but their heads outside. Levi felt the joy on his tongue as he kissed Erwin’s once more, the light touches on his back, the hands settling on his hips.

Levi wound his arms around Erwin’s neck, pushing his body flush against him, his breath hitching at the contact – at the realisation that he was hard and had just made it known unsubtly to Erwin. He relaxed slightly, though, when he felt his lover against his thighs, just as hard as he was. His hands travelled up Erwin’s chest, to his shoulders, to his jaw, slightly pulling him down for a kiss. And, suddenly, Erwin’s own hand was at the back of his head, keeping him close, digging into his scalp as he kissed him like he’d never kissed him before – like he was the air he needed to live.

“Are you okay?” Erwin asked, taking his hands in his. “You shiver.”  
“I’ve never been more okay in my life”, Levi breathed. “Please, Erwin.”  
“What do you want?” Erwin asked, his breath hot just before he pressed kisses to Levi’s neck and shoulders.  
“You”, Levi gasped. “Your hands, on me.” He stared into sky-blue eyes, feeling his heart hammer. “I want all you’re willing to give me.”  
“Everything”, Erwin replied, his pupils blown wide. “Anything.”

Slowly, Erwin leaned against the edge, pulling Levi with him, and he sat down a bit higher. The water was warm, but Levi’s skin was even warmer, brimming on too hot, as if little sparks were ignited by every contact of their skins. It felt like too much and not enough – like trying to breathe with his chest crushed by something bigger than he could handle. It was Levi, slowly kneeling in his lap, lowering himself until their lengths were aligned – his Levi, the love he never expected, the better half of him. It was Levi, so strong and yet so broken – pieces held together in the most beautiful puzzle he’d ever seen. It was Levi, moaning out his name as he slowly rolled his hips into him, his face flushed red, his eyes closed from the overflowing pleasure. It was Levi, panting in his ear as he lost control, as he tensed against the rush of pleasure, as his back arched impossibly. There was nothing but Levi behind his close eyelids when he came, his lips pressed in a kiss on Levi’s shoulders.

He felt boneless when he opened his eyes again to look at his wild Gryffindor, gasping for breath, his damp hair stuck to his forehead. Carefully, he pulled him down again for a kiss, hissing at the too much of skin against skin. Levi’s lips were puffed and red, bitten raw – he’d tried to keep in his little sounds of pleasure, and Erwin didn’t know what he liked best: the pants of restrained pleasure, or the loud cries of too-much, of losing his mind. Levi was in his arms, blissed out and completely languid, and it was all that mattered.

Eventually though, the water started to go lukewarm and they had to exit the bath. Erwin wrapped a towel around Levi’s shoulders, rubbing his arms and back to dry him off, and Levi smiled faintly. He let the towel down, showing off his toned body, both confident and scared, as his hands rested on Erwin’s forearms.

“Come back with me to the dorms”, he whispered. “It’s just me. Spend the night with me, Erwin. I want to wake up in your arms.”  
“Anything for you”, Erwin replied, completely entranced.

They got dressed again, and quietly exited the foggy air of the bathroom. Somewhere, a clock chimed one. Hand in hand, moving swiftly and quietly, they climbed the stairs to Gryffindor tower – waking up the Fat Lady to get inside, Erwin Disillusioned. They managed to sneak back inside without problem, and up to Levi’s dorm. Levi chucked his clothes to the floor while Erwin carefully folded his on the trunk at the bottom of Levi’s bed, and they both climbed on the mattress. It was nowhere near large enough for the both of them until Levi cast a simple Enlargement Charm over it. He then proceeded to snuggle against Erwin, his head resting on his shoulder, his palm splayed over his heart.

“That was perfect, Erwin”, he breathed softly, waving his wand once more to close the curtains and enclose them in a safe bubble.  
“It was”, Erwin answered, fingers rubbing at the back of his head soothingly. “It was.”

Silence fell over them, and then sleep.

Levi woke up first the following morning. He was curled against Erwin, who had instinctively spooned him. Levi reached for his lover. He’d dreamed of Erwin’s outstretched hand. Of that hand he’d seized – of that broad hand that meant “I care about you”. And he hoped that, one day, his hand would mean that to Erwin too.


	5. ‘MMA world-champion Levi Ackerman dates Hollywood star Erwin Smith?????’

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the chapter title says...
> 
> (Or, I picked another kind of stars).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: this chapter contains (heavy) smut and name-calling. There is also alcohol drinking.

Erwin stepped out of the car to the crackling of flashes as dozens of reporters shot the renowned “Commander Handsome”. Pushing his sunglasses up his nose to hide his clear blue eyes and protect them from the onslaught of lights, he waved a hand at the crowd and smiled. The crowd had been loud before – now it was deafening, cheering his name like some sort of incantation. He had no idea what they expected to do, yelling so loud, unless they were determined to give him a headache. Yet he kept on smiling and moved forward. One night more, standing under thousand pairs of eyes – the price for glory.

It was late when he finally made it out after a long interview – one more – about the movie that had made him a star. _The Wings of Freedom_ was a war drama – an impossible romance, that had had an unplanned success. Erwin played _Herr Schöne_ , a Nazi officer who, against all odds, fell in love with a Jewish woman he was supposed to deport. A love that changed his whole life. He’d been striking in that role, bringing tears and fury and unexpected tenderness – and now, he was a Hollywood star. He’d been glad of his success at first – but now, not so much. People expected him to actually _be_ Herr Schöne, and he wasn’t. Sure, he’d played admirably, but he wasn’t so ruthless, so tender nor so guilt-stricken. He was merely a man who happened to be good at acting.

“Stop here”, he told the driver, and he exited the car at the corner of a busy street.

He needed to cool his head, and he needed a drink – not the cold emptiness of his condo. Messing his hair, he took off his tux jacket and folded it over his arm, quickly unbuttoning the top of his crisp white shirt. Finally, he stepped into the bar with glowing neon blue lights, hoping no one would recognize him until he’d relaxed a bit. He walked up to the bar, where a man was already drinking, and slid on a stool.

“Martini, dry”, he ordered with a sigh.

The man next to him huffed.

“Long night?”  
“You could say that”, Erwin replied, glancing at him.  
“Cranky”, the stranger added, looking into his drink – into the ice in his whisky.  
“I’m not cranky”, Erwin retorted, piqued.

This time, the man looked up. He had black hair framing silver eyes, the back of his head shaved, and though he seemed small, his shoulders were wide enough to hint at powerful muscles. There was something delicate about that face, but also fierce – maybe it was the eyes, or, more probably, the dark bruise covering his right cheekbone.

“Oh yes you are”, the man drawled. “You wonder when the next horde of fans is gonna swarm you, aren’t you?”

Of course the man had to know who he was. That was just his luck.

“Appears I’m found out”, Erwin replied.  
“Your face is on every fucking building, every fucking magazine. And your eyes are hard to miss.” The man waved his hand. “I don’t care. Get piss drunk and ruin that perfect image they have of you for all I care.”

The bartender slid him his drink, and Erwin took a sip.

“What’s with the bruise?” he finally said. “A difficult night for you too?”  
“The best I’ve had in years”, the man replied. “The bruise’s nothing.”

For some reason, Erwin perceived no irony about that declaration. The man even seemed to be quite proud of that bruise, like it meant something. Erwin’s eyes fell to the stranger’s clothes: he hadn’t paid attention at first, but his leather jacket, his tight-fitted jeans, and his boots, everything was high-quality and probably tailored. Wealth, but not flaunted.

“Why the drinking then?”  
“I’m celebrating, can’t you see?” the man answered, lifting his drink. “I’m allowed a glass of whisky after a win, I’m not drinking because I’m sad and want to get drunk.”  
“Shouldn’t you celebrate with friends?”  
“Did that already”, the man replied. “Left when they started to talk about dancing and bar-hopping.”  
“To your victory, then”, Erwin said, raising his glass.  
“Don’t you dare cheer with me with a martini”, the guy growled – but now, Erwin could see it was a façade, a persona. He didn’t seem genuinely angry, but on the contrary quite pleased. Erwin grinned, and took another sip.  
“And so, what kind of victory am I drinking to?”

Instead of answering, the man gestured to the barman to come closer and said a few words Erwin didn’t understand. Seconds later, the barman was switching on the TV facing them on mute, to a sports channel. _Levi Ackerman winner of MMA World Championship – Featherweight – against Hanji Zoe._ It took a few seconds before Erwin recognized the man on the screen – half-naked, panting, flushed and sweating – as the one sitting beside him so calmly. He cringed at a replay of the combat, when Levi delivered the winning blow with a jumping kick. The realisation that the man sitting next to him radiated power made his skin crawl in a foreign but not so disagreeable way.

“Nice kick”, he finally said once he’d regained his composure.

This time, Levi eyed him with curiosity. They were from two completely different worlds, both left dumbfounded by the waves of success. Erwin drank again, downing his martini, and turned to face Levi.

“So, what are you going to do now that you’re a world champion?”  
“Train”, Levi answered like it was a dumb question. “For the next championship.” He took another sip of his whisky with obvious pleasure. “And you, now that you’re so famous?”  
“Find another role”, Erwin answered, “and hopefully leave Herr Schöne behind.”  
“You could always try to get a Dorian Gray role”, Levi said. “You don’t really have the angelic vibe, but you could play the part well.” He drank again. “Or go on with the whole warrior thing. I’m sure you’d look good as a gladiator.”  
“I’m pondering over a Roman Emperor role”, Erwin admitted, “what do you think?”  
“Drop the toga”, Lev replied, his whisky now gone. He caught Erwin’s gaze. “You’d look good as a Roman noble”, he explained. “You’ve got that… noble air about you, that’s why you were so good at being Herr Schöne.” He smirked. “But I’d love something a bit more… broken. A fallen.”  
“There’s this script I read”, Erwin said, “the director isn’t well-known, but there’s a lot of potential there.”  
“What’s it about?”  
“Humanity”, Erwin replied. “Survival.”  
“And?”  
“And there are these two characters… Important, but not the main ones. A Commander, and his Captain.”  
“A Commander, again? Do you have a thing for uniforms?” Levi said with a smirk.  
“Not uniforms”, Erwin replied. “For power brought to submission.”

Levi shivered at the implied words, taking a step back.

“I don’t-” Then he gasped, catching the light in Erwin’s eyes. “Would you obey?” he whispered, stepping closer – too close for comfort, his fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt.  
“Make me”, Erwin replied.

Levi frowned, and pulled away.

“Don’t do that.”  
“Do what?”  
“Play a commander on me. I don’t give a shit about Schöne.”  
“And what do you want?”  
“A few hours. Maybe a night. Leave the personas behind, and belong to me. One night; you can only be yourself. Nothing else.”  
“That sounds appealing”, Erwin breathed. “And scary.”  
“Trust me”, Levi said, pulling him down to him.  
“Catch me if I fall”, Erwin whispered, and suddenly Levi’s lips were on his, demanding and rough, and he felt a shiver run up his spine, a prickling at his nape, an unwinding in his stomach. “I have a car waiting”, he said when they parted.  
“Good”, Levi replied, digging his hands into Erwin’s pockets to leave bills for their drinks. “I intend to celebrate a bit more.”  
“Let’s make it rewarding.”

They left the bar, walking close but not touching, and climbed into the car waiting close.

“Where to, Mr. Smith?”  
“Home”, Erwin replied as the car started, closing the separation between front seat and back seat.  
“A chauffeur? Nice”, Levi said, relaxing into the backseat. He was grinning – but after all, tonight was his win. Tonight was his.  
“You’re staring”, Erwin said after a moment.  
“I am”, Levi replied with the same drawl as earlier, and it sent shivers down Erwin’s spine. “I like what I see. Can’t wait to see more.”

He hadn’t expected the light flush reddening Erwin’s cheeks, but he decided he liked it. There was a fragility in Erwin, that Herr Schöne didn’t have. A weakness, in those blue eyes, that triggered something inside of him. He had no words for what he felt, and didn’t intend to find them. Tonight, he felt powerful. On top of the world. Tonight, there was no defeating him. He was invincible. He crawled over the backseat to settle in Erwin’s lap, and the man gasped quietly. His slacks were a lot thinner than Levi’s jeans, and his cheeks had darkened even more. That was endearing.

“That’s dangerous, Mr. Ackerman”, Erwin pointed out.  
“It’s Levi for you”, he answered, his breath ghosting over his face. “That’s a lot easier to moan, isn’t it?”  
“It is”, Erwin breathed.  
“You still look a bit too tidy to my liking”, Levi said, sliding his fingers into his gelled hair until it looked properly mussed. He bent down for another kiss, gentler – Erwin’s lips were soft and tasted of alcohol, against his chapped owns. “It makes me want to do things”, he purred in his ear, hands sliding down his torso.  
“What things?” Erwin panted, and he was starting to look really worked up now, his eyes glazed over, his slacks already tenting – and Levi couldn’t help wanting more.  
“Make you a mess”, Levi replied. “Make you come undone with barely anything. Make you take me”, his voice broke on a moan as Erwin’s hand slid between his thighs to press against his crotch, “like the bitch you are.”

Erwin keened at the word, and Levi smirked. It was so easy to unravel the actor, it felt like a treat on that peculiar night.

“Won’t you be good for me?” he asked, his hand lightly clenched over Erwin’s jaw. “I know who you are, Erwin”, he added, looking at him through lidded eyes. “I know what you crave.”

His lips brushed along his jaw, and he almost fell over when the car stopped.

“We’re here”, Erwin breathed, and Levi chuckled.  
“Wait a second, you look really fucked out. Can’t have you walking around like this, what if someone saw you?”  
“I thought you didn’t care?”  
“I don’t like sharing”, Levi said. “That look is mine. Remember? Tonight, you are mine.”

Erwin nodded and Levi pulled away, righting his shirt slightly while Erwin tried to find some way to hide his boner. Now he looked even more like he’d been found in a compromising position, and the image – _body bent over and pleas pouring from his mouth_ – was branded into his mind.

“Well, it’ll have to do”, Levi said with a faux-sigh.

They exited the car and quickly got inside the building, after Erwin had punched in the code. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait for the elevator, as it was a special one. This time again, Erwin entered a code. The doors opened with ding, and they got inside.

“Why is there no button other than the alarm?” Levi asked, looking quite uncomfortable with the whole idea of being trapped in a metallic box.  
“Because this one goes straight to the top”, Erwin replied. “To my place.”

Levi’s eyes darkened as he understood there would be no one to shock up there, and he pulled Erwin to him by his shirt.

“I’ll be damned if you can walk tomorrow”, he growled, tugging on the shirt to free it from the slacks.

Erwin only replied with a gasp, opening the shirt as quickly as he could, until it revealed a chiselled torso dusted with light blond hair. Levi’s hands smoothed over the exposed skin, roughened but gentle, and the doors opened once more – this time, on the apartment. It was dark, but Erwin clapped his hands once and the lights switched on. They left their shoes in the entry hall – along with Erwin’s slacks when Levi pushed him against the wall and went down to his knees. The world champion was a mischievous tease, Erwin realised when he found himself standing in only his open shirt, his knees buckling from the onslaught of pleasurable attention. Levi had already pulled away, his hand gliding over Erwin’s length, his eyes watching eagerly as Erwin gulped, his head rolling against the wall.

“Show me where the bedroom is, otherwise I’ll just fuck you right here if you can’t control yourself.”

That piqued Erwin’s pride and he managed to regain enough control to guide him through the place to the master bedroom. A huge bed took most of the place, the far wall a bay-window that allowed them to see the city stretched as far as possible, and the sky glimmering with countless stars. Levi abandoned his leather jacket on the back of a couch on their way there, and his t-shirt in the small corridor leading to the bedroom. By the time Erwin reached the bed, he was completely naked, his shirt forgotten somewhere. Levi pushed him roughly over the covers, reaching for the buckle of his belt, before he shimmied out of his jeans. Erwin stared at the expanse of skin – Levi was definitely more muscular without his clothes on, and there was a power in those rippling muscles that made him shiver. He didn’t have to wonder – Levi was stronger than he was. His muscles were mostly for show, while Levi’s were for efficiency. He would have bet Levi was strong enough to hold him up and fuck him against the wall, but the height difference was a major problem.

Levi crawled onto the bed, over him, kissing him soundly until his ears buzzed, his hips dropped over Erwin’s without a care in the world. The fabric of his boxers, as soft as it was, felt wrong and irritating at that moment.

“Drop them off”, Erwin said in a hoarse voice, and Levi did.

He didn’t come back down to kiss more, though, and reached for the nightstand.

“Third drawer”, Erwin supplied.

Levi fished a condom and the lube, dropping them on the mattress beside them, before he finally bent down for another kiss. When he pulled back once more, his cheeks were slightly flush, his eyes shining with desire. He picked up the lube, generously pouring it over his fingers, his other hand sliding over Erwin’s stomach.

“Blond all over, uh”, he said with a chuckle as he pushed a first finger in.  
“Yeah”, Erwin replied, closing his eyes at the pressure. “Feels good”, he mumbled.  
“You’re more relaxed than I’d thought you’d be”, Levi noted, thrusting his finger lightly.  
“I’d say my fingers are broader than yours”, Erwin replied with a cocky grin.  
“Can’t argue with that”, Levi conceded, quickly adding another.

He was efficient, like he seemed to be in everything, not too rough but not especially gentle either. He trusted Erwin to tell him if there was a problem. Not long after, he added a third, and this time Erwin reacted strongly enough that he pushed his fingers into his soft spot – watching with a ravenous pleasure as Erwin held in a shout.

“That looks painful”, he said, pointing at Erwin’s cock – red and hard, it was leaking steadily over his stomach. “What if I-”  
“Don’t”, Erwin said difficultly, stopping his extended hand. “If you touch me now, I’ll come.”  
“That’s my bitch”, Levi said, his voice fonder than he intended to. “Is it enough or do you need more?”  
“That’s enough”, Erwin replied, his voice strangled as Levi pulled his fingers out.

He ripped open the condom’s package and rolled it over his length, thrusting into his lubed fingers three times with a shiver. He settled on his parted knees, pulling Erwin until his hips were in his lap, and thrust in steadily until he bottomed out. The sight was breathe-taking, and Levi committed it to memory – one of the most courted men of the planet, wilfully stretched open on his cock, red and damp with sweat, his mop of blond hair a mess on the mattress, his lips parted on harsh pants of barely contained pleasure.

“Amazing”, he breathed, not expecting an answer – Erwin looked too far gone for that. “You look wonderful.”

The little sounds he made were, too, his pants turning to moans, until his voice broke onto a strangled cry.

“Th- _There_ ”, he simply said, and Levi grinned, shifting his weight on his arms as he put his hands on the mattress on either side of Erwin, driving his cock forcefully into him.

Once he started to do that, pleas and cries mashed up in a beautiful symphony as Erwin lost himself to the pleasure, and it wasn’t long before he came all over himself. A sight to behold, truly. Swiftly, Levi pulled out, took off the condom and thrust into his fist, letting go with a low groan of pleasure. Over Erwin, who now looked completely debauched. He stared at his _oeuvre_ , and, with a satisfied smirk, let himself drop aside to recover.

They spent some time laying side by side in silence, until Erwin had gathered enough forces to get up and go take a quick shower. Levi joined him there, feeling relaxed and euphoric. They kissed again, slower and more appreciative, no longer driven by the immediate need to get off but rather letting the pleasure roll over their skins in startling sparks. Erwin’s hair was very soft once it wasn’t gelled anymore, just like his smile was. Soft and kind, and Levi wondered how he had managed to score with such a man. He was nothing like his usual partners. He was the brightest star in the sky and Levi was – shadows.

Erwin was a bit at a loss too. He usually didn’t go with men, if only for his career’s sake – but Levi was… something else. Something he hadn’t expected. He was used to no longer feel any desire for his partners once they’d fucked, and here Levi was, and he still wanted him – wanted _more_. His hand slid down: he still felt raw and tender, it would probably be a bad idea.

“How do you feel?” Levi asked, putting a hand on his arm, staring up at him.  
“Good”, Erwin replied, smiling. “Think you could go again tonight?”

Levi glanced at the clock on the nightstand – it was already two and a quarter.

“Not sure”, he said with a grimace. “The fight took a toll on my stamina. Even if I can, it’ll take some time more. Why, you already up for more?” he added with a smirk, looking down.  
“Mmh, not yet”, Erwin said, sitting on the bed.  
“It’s late already, and I can always take care of you in the morning”, Levi pointed out. “We should sleep while we can.”  
“I don’t want today to end”, Erwin admitted ruefully.  
“I don’t want to either”, Levi confessed, sitting beside him. “Make out with me? I’ll get you off if it becomes too much.”  
“I like how it sounds”, Erwin said. “Wait a second.”

He got up once more and opened the bay-window, revealing an access to a small balcony and letting some air in. The night was far from being silent, but he didn’t care. He went back to the bed and laid down, pulling Levi to him. His small body fitted perfectly beside him as he wrapped his arms around Levi to kiss him. This casual intimacy wasn’t something he did either – his conquests were to leave the place, when they even made it to his bedroom. He wondered once more why Levi was different, and what it could mean.

“I had no idea you were into men”, Levi whispered as they took a breathing break.  
“It’s not exactly public knowledge”, Erwin admitted.  
“I can understand”, Levi replied. “My line of work isn’t exactly an open-minded one.”  
“At least you don’t have paparazzi stalking after you”, Erwin said with a chuckle.  
“True”, Levi snorted, kissing him lightly again. His eyes were drooping, and Erwin smiled, raising a hand to brush aside a strand of dark hair.  
“You’re all sleepy. Goodnight, Levi.”  
“Goodnight, Erwin.”

Despite the harsh sunlight coming through the bay-window, they slept well past lunch, bodies warm and entwined. When Erwin opened his eyes, Levi was looking at him, laying over his chest.

“I thought you were a dream”, he whispered, voice still heavy with sleep.  
“I hoped you weren’t one”, Levi replied, smiling.  
“Smooth.”  
“Thanks.”

Slowly, Erwin rolled over, caging Levi with his body, blue eyes entranced by his sight. They never should have met, and yet here they were. Weirder, he didn’t want to let go.

“If I say I want to see you again, will it make things weird?”  
“Depends”, Levi replied. “How serious are we talking?”  
“I don’t know yet. I loved waking up beside you”, Erwin breathed, “and I loved fucking with you.”  
“You know, the thing with one-night stands is… they last one night”, Levi replied. “And I’ve never wanted more than one night until today.”  
“That’s exactly how I feel”, Erwin said, smiling. “How about we try to see where this goes?”  
“What do you suggest?”  
“Breakfast date. I know the perfect place.”  
“It’s well past lunch”, Levi chuckled, “you big dummy. And people will see us.”  
“Let them stare”, Erwin said, bending down to kiss his jaw and neck. “So, what do you say?”  
“I’m curious enough to try.”

They finally got out of bed, feeling strangely giddy from this new, unexpected experience, and got dressed swiftly. Erwin turned on his phone, and frowned at the onslaught of messages.

“Oh, fuck”, he said quietly. “I need to call my manager before we go anywhere.”  
“A problem?”  
“You could say that. We were seen together last night, and photos leaked. It’s all over internet.”  
“…How bad are we talking?”  
“I have no idea yet”, Erwin replied, already dialling his manager. “Mike? Yeah, my phone was turned off… Oh? I see… It’s not their fucking business who I sleep with, is it? …  
Yes I understand. We were about to go out for breakfast, can we? …Yes, I’m serious. Mike… Mike stop right now, I’m serious. Can we? …Alright, thanks.”

He hanged up, and looked at Levi.

“Nothing too bad, just us at the bar, getting in the car, exiting it. People are losing their shit over it, of course, but we should be able to have breakfast. Sorry I got you into this mess.”  
“Are you kidding me?” Levi replied, looking up from his phone, where he’d been scrolling. “Everyone is talking about me, my fight and victory. It’s unexpected promotion, I won’t turn it down.” He snorted. “If you don’t mind the speculations about our real relationship, of course.”  
“I don’t care either way, that’s our problem.”  
“Then let’s go”, Levi said as Erwin pulled on a sweatshirt, putting the hood up over a cap and sunglasses. “Should I do that too?”  
“I bet you’d be cute.”

So Levi hid himself behind clothes as well and they exited the building. Erwin’s hand was possessively resting in Levi’s back pocket, the smaller man tucked against him. They made it to the small family restaurant that served take-out, and Erwin took a copious breakfast for the both of them. They then strolled to the nearby park, settling under a tree and sharing the food.

“I’m indulging myself, but it’s just this once”, Levi said. “I’ll get fat if I eat like this every day.”  
“Special treat”, Erwin said. He frowned slightly, biting into a rolled pancake. “Paparazzi at three”, he said once he’d swallowed his mouthful.  
“How about we give them something juicy?” Levi said with a smirk.  
“Yeah?”

Levi dropped his hood and pulled off Erwin’s, taking off both of their caps before he leaned against Erwin for a lingering kiss that was broken by their fit of laughter.

“This is ridiculous”, Erwin said.  
“Do you know what the article said? ‘MMA world-champion Levi Ackerman dates Hollywood star Erwin Smith?????’ That sounds quite pompous, doesn’t it?”  
“It does”, Erwin replied. “I’ve got another I like better: ‘Levi dates Erwin. They have amazing sex together.’”  
“Sounds good to me”, Levi hummed, kissing him again. “I feel grossly domestic already. I don’t know where my aggressivity went.”  
“Attack, Levi, attack!”  
“…Can I really? Just a little scare?” Levi said, mischievous.  
“Please do”, Erwin replied, barely holding in his laughter already.

Levi stood up, pulled off his sunglasses and stared right at the paparazzi. Then, slowly, he stalked up to him and, even slower, rose his middle-finger.

“Get the hell out of here you fucking bastard”, he growled, “can’t a man date in peace?!”

The paparazzi crawled away, visibly frightened by Levi’s unfriendly look and expression, and Levi went back to Erwin.

“How ‘bout that”, he said proudly.  
“That’s my man”, Erwin laughed, pulling him in for a kiss.  
“Don’t go sappy on me”, Levi warned.  
“Or what, you’ll flip me the finger?”  
“You’d like it, you fuckwad”, Levi growled.  
“I would”, Erwin confirmed, and Levi shoved him away with a huff. Erwin grabbed his hands, bringing them to his heart, and kissed the knuckles. There were tears in his eyes, and Levi felt his heart beat faster. “Please don’t go”, he said. “How could I ever find peace without you by my side? You are… The only good thing about me, the only thing worth it about me. And if you go, I have nothing left. Without you, I’m nothing. Please, Levi. I love you.”

There was a moment of silence, and Levi made a sound, midway between a laugh and a sob.

“You fucker”, he said, “that was Herr Schöne’s declaration! How dare you?!”

And Erwin laughed, and suddenly Herr Schöne was gone and he was only Erwin, and Levi thought maybe, maybe this man could be his lucky star.


	6. The Other Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is not weird to fall in love with your husband, is it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I posted the whole fic seperately, you will only find a teaser here! You can find it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15815226/chapters/36815022

“Erwin, when you say ‘small, skilled group’, how many men are we talking about?”  
“Two.”  
“Two?”  
“Two”, Erwin confirmed with a nod. “You, and me. My son will be staying here if anything were to happen to us. In the meantime, I have named a regent.” He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not like he’ll have a lot of power here anyway. Clan chiefs hold the power over the people, I’m merely a representative.”  
“With all due respect, Erwin, that’s a dumb idea. We should at least take a guard with us.”  
“That would hold us back, and I don’t trust many people around Padenomians. This mission requires delicacy. We’re fitted for it.”  
“What if we’re attacked?”  
“You’re one of the best warriors, and I’m not defenceless. I was raised as a warrior too.”

Levi pinched his nose.

“Fine. Whatever. If we die, I’ll hold you responsible.”


	7. The Cigarette.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi smokes one cigarette every Thursday morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: there is memory loss due to old age in this fic.

Erwin was sleeping. The midday sun was painting him gold, his hair a white halo around his head. He was peaceful in his sleep, in a way he never was once he was awake. Levi cherished those moments of calm, where he could just look at him. It often strikes him as a miracle that they got to live this, after all these years – after all these near-misses. The years had been kinder to them than to most of their friends, that didn’t mean they hadn’t been ruthless. Lines marked Erwin’s face, a little more each day. His hair had turned white long ago now, and his blue eyes didn’t see as well as they used to. It didn’t matter. After all those stolen years together, it really didn’t matter. So what if Levi’s hands were always slightly shaking now? What if his hair had turned white? Erwin was by his side, and it meant more to him than anything else.

Levi sat up at his side, grabbing for the nightstand. His fingers closed on the cigarette there, and then on the lighter. He slid the stick between his lips, and focused to lit it up with his trembling hands. After all these years, still the same movements. His body knew them perfectly. One, each week. One, each Thursday morning. To remind himself that he’d lived until now. It was a habit hard to break – one he didn’t want to break. Like every Thursday morning, he crushed the cigarette after only a puff. Leaving more for another day. For another week. He turned his eyes back to Erwin.

He was awake, and looking at him. Levi could feel the sun on his side, which was probably blinding the blond. It didn’t matter. After all these years, his gaze was still one of pure adoration. Levi remembered a time he’d doubted him. That was a long time ago, though. He remembered well old things. It was harder as it grew closer, but he was still doing fine. One cigarette, on Thursday. He kept track of time. He didn’t remember what they’d had for diner yesterday. That didn’t matter – that was not important. He remembered Erwin’s smile, the first time he’d said he loved him. That was an important memory. Slowly, Erwin rose. Grabbed the hand that had been holding the cigarette, and kissed his knuckles.

“You’re smoking”, he said.  
“It’s Thursday”, Levi pointed out.

Erwin smiled, but there was something in that smile – something Levi couldn’t pinpoint. It didn’t really matter. His hand was laying in Erwin’s, palm up. It was withered, old, but Erwin’s touch was always so smooth and gentle.

“What do you want to do today?” Erwin asked, fingertips sliding over his palm.  
“I’d like to paint”, he said.

It was a hobby he’d picked up – a hobby he was surprisingly good to. Pictures and colours took life under his hands. It helped him; to capture the moment, the emotion. To leave all thoughts behind.

“Alright”, Erwin replied, his voice ever-still so soft. “Where to?”  
“By the lake”, Levi replied. “We haven’t gone in a long time.”  
“The lake it is, then”, Erwin said, with another kiss, this time into his palm.

It was the same motions every day. Getting up. Dressing. Breakfast. And then, the activity of the day. Erwin carried the blank canvas on his back, while Levi carried the rest. They had a pick-nick basket with them, that Erwin had prepared. Levi didn’t know when he’d prepare it – it just was. They walked side by side to the lake, a few minutes away from the house, and settled in the grass. It was truly a beautiful day, with perfect light. Birds flew into the sky or swam over the smooth surface of the lake. Every day different, and yet always the same. Levi settled in front of his canvas, and started to paint – a new vista, one he had never tried before. With the trees standing tall in the background, and the mountain on the side. It was perfect.

*

Erwin picked up the canvas outside, where Levi had left it to dry, once Levi was sleeping. He pulled the calendar from behind the potatoes sacks, and crossed another day. Sunday. It’d been a beautiful day – Levi had painted all day, with that peaceful expression he only had when he was wielding a brush. He turned off the light in the kitchen, picked up the key around his neck, and opened the door behind the curtains. Closed the room once he was in, and paused. There was almost no room left – canvas were stacked everywhere against the walls. He passed the mountain views – hundreds of them. The same mountain, from the same viewpoint. Yet each canvas different. The house – different as the years went by, but nothing much. The colour of the shutters. The open door. The chimney that had been destroyed ten years ago by a thunderbolt. The lake. His fingers skimmed over the canvases. Not daring to count them. It’d been months since Levi picked up this spot – and yet every single day, it was the first time. It didn’t matter.

Erwin stacked today’s canvas against the others, admiring it. Similar – and yet different. Like every day was. He gave a sigh, and exited the room. Closed it, bolted it. Like every night. Prepared the basket for tomorrow. The tablecloth to lie by the lake, while Levi painted. Sometimes, he wondered how long it’d been for Levi – he’d asked once, when he didn’t know any better.

“It’s been… well, ten years, hasn’t it? We settled here once everything was over.”

He remembered his heart breaking, as thirty years turned to dust. Levi’s panic – memories gone, somewhere he couldn’t follow. He knew better, now. Every Thursday morning, Levi smoked a cigarette. He’d smoked three yesterday. Only two today. He’d removed the calendar from his sight, when it’d been clear it only made Levi suffer. When he saw days, weeks, months, years had gone by, and he couldn’t remember. They had still been there for ten years, in Levi’s mind. Erwin didn’t deny. It would be forty-five years in two days. It would be another Thursday. Levi would smoke a cigarette and get out of bed. Maybe he would kiss him – maybe not. They would go to the lake, like they’d done for about three years now, and Levi would paint. He would have that peaceful air about him, and it would be enough.

His Levi was happy, and had been for a long time. It was enough.


End file.
